For only the third time in HighSchoolOT.com Holiday Invitational history, there's a repeat champion of the event.

Raleigh Ravenscroft overcame a one-point halftime deficit and played stifling defense in its 53-44 defeat of High Point Wesleyan in the Summit Hospitality championship game of the HighSchoolOT.com Holiday Invitational Friday night. It marked the second straight year Ravenscroft has won the HSOT.

"We are certainly happy to be the champions of this tournament," Ravens coach Kevin Billerman said. "This is a great tournament for our kids to win."

Ravenscroft's success came because it did not allow anyone outside of Wesleyan's Big Three of Jaquel Richmond (23 points), Montay Brandon (12) and Theo Pinson (nine) to score.

"The key to the game, I thought, was the lockdown defense that we had on their three great perimeter players," Billerman said. "For three days, Madison (Jones) has defended the other team's point guards and that is one of the keys to our victories."

Wesleyan coach Keith Gatlin said he was proud of his team's effort in its first Holiday Invitational, but that his team needed more than just Richmond, Brandon and Pinson to have good games for the Trojans to be successful.

"Tonight, we came up short because we never got into a flow," Gatlin said. "You have to credit Ravenscroft for that. They played us well again tonight."

Mom2twoDec 31, 2011

I live in Garner, and I thought the N&O gave great coverage to Garner, but after seeing this headline, I was REALLY confused. I had to go through the brackets to realize there were basically TWO tournaments/brackets going on, and that BOTH Ravenscroft and Garner were winners.

BenFranklinDec 31, 2011

The article about Garner was nearly twice as long as the one concerning Ravenscroft. Coverage was outstanding by all the reporters throughout the tourney. Your complaint is totally unfounded.........

rlee1117Dec 31, 2011

Why was Garner not also in the spotlite with huge wins over #12 in the country plus #2 in new york! again no respect for the people of Garner from Wral! Guess it true that money rules everything in life!!! GO TROJANS wITH THAT SAID THIS IS THE REASON NO ONE IN OUR AREA ARE NEVER RANKED !IF ITS NOT REPORTED THEN IT GOES WITHOUT NOTICE!